Queensland in grip of deadly flood crisis

Queensland is in the grip of another flood crisis, as cities
and towns across the state go under.

Dramatic rescues are underway in Bundaberg, where the city's
worst flood on record has left dozens of people trapped on
rooftops.

At least 1200 Bundaberg properties are already flooded, and
there are fears that could reach 2000.

The communities of Gympie and Maryborough are also flooding.

There is also a major flood crisis developing in the Lockyer
Valley, where 19 lives were lost in the state's 2011 floods.

Brisbane and Ipswich are bracing for flooding expected on
Monday night, with further flood peaks expected on Tuesday
and Wednesday.

So far, three flood deaths have been confirmed:

- An 81-year-old man whose body was pulled from the water
near Bundaberg

- A 27-year-old man who tried to cross a flooded creek near
Gympie

- A man whose body was found in the Oxley Creek south of
Brisbane.

In Bundaberg, entire suburbs have been evacuated but some
people waited too long and about 30 are stranded on rooftops
in atrocious conditions that are preventing rescuers from
reaching them.

The situation in the city is now so bad that police are
advising people trapped in homes in north Bundaberg to seek
refuge on the roof.

"If your house is currently inundated with water and you
require rescuing, you are either to make your way to the roof
if safe - I repeat - if safe," Senior Sergeant Grant Marcus
said in an urgent public alert issued on Monday morning.

"Alternatively find a way by which you can hail rescue
helicopters which are currently hovering over your area."

Choppers with winching gear are battling to get to those
already on the rooftops.

At Ipswich, west of Brisbane, flooding is predicted from late
on Monday, but it's not expected to be anything like what was
seen in 2011 when 600 homes flooded.

That's also true for Brisbane, where a minor flood is
expected, affecting about 5000 homes and businesses.

Two evacuation centres have opened in Ipswich, with the
Bremer River now expected to peak at 15 metres - a metre
beyond what was expected just a day ago.